


Filthy Parasites

by bzarcher



Series: Overwatch Cryptid AU [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Cryptids, F/F, Ghouls, It's sort of a band fic, Modern Era, Multi, Music, Podfic Welcome, Vampires, cryptid AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-01-27 06:30:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12575784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher
Summary: After the unexpected arrival of Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison in New York CIty, Lena Oxton wants to know why they're there - and not trying to kill each other, her, or anyone else.A story for a story is the usual trade...





	1. Lena

The house lights had been dropped to low at Club L’Enfer. Most of the staff working on closing up after their Halloween blowout could see perfectly fine, and it helped to discourage anyone from thinking the club might still be going after hours.

On the stage at the back of the club, Lena Oxton knelt on the floor, helping to unplug amps and microphones so that Mako could gather everything up and put the equipment away properly in the trailer attached to his truck.

“Right, I think that’s the last one!” She rose to her feet and waved to the bulky roadie, who gave a grunt and a thumbs up before starting to wind the cables up. With that done, she collected her Thunderbird off the stand, packed it carefully into her gig bag, and carried it down to the table where a pair of patrons were still hanging about after hours with the proprietor’s permission.

Jack was sitting just like the old soldier he’d always been, even in the days where she’d been a relatively young vampire and he was struggling to adjust from the transition himself. (She didn’t think it mattered that she’d been turned in her twenties and that Jack had been in his 40s. The man seemed to have been _born_ old.)

Gabe, on the other hand, was just short of sprawling in his chair, his hoodie up but the bandana mask he’d been wearing pulled down around his neck, the better for Lena to see his sleepy, jagged smile as he gestured to the stage with his beer bottle.

“So, the band.”

Lena let her goggles fall around her neck, raising an eyebrow. “What about them?”

Jack gave Gabriel a look, then answered for him - one of those sort of cute, sort of annoying habits they’d used to have before they’d turned into deadly enemies instead of passionate lovers. It _still_ annoyed Lena a little, but it was also nice to see. “They’re pretty good, but I seem to recall you deciding to stick to just practicing solo or doing session work. So how did this happen?”

Lena looked over to the bar, and saw that Amélie was still working to close up. “Well, I think I’ve got enough time for a story - but you two still owe me one, too.”

“You’ll get it,” Jack promised.

“Come on, kid,” Gabe straightened up in his chair, gesturing to the open seat at their table. “Dish.”

Lena leaned her bag carefully against the table, sat down, and grinned. “Well, it all started a couple weeks after things went to hell with Amé and Saint George…”

* * *

Lena smiled gratefully at Fareeha as she yanked on the strap to close the door of their rented moving truck.

“Thanks for all your help, luv. I _hate_ having to jump to grab those stupid things.”

Fareeha chuckled, clapping her hands to knock a bit of the moving truck’s dust off of her gloves. “Sometimes it’s good to be the tall one. Though I _am_ a bit confused why you didn’t ask your…” She trailed off, cocking her head slightly. “Do I still call her your girlfriend even though if you want to get technical she’s also your kid, now?”

Lena groaned as they got into the truck’s cab. “Oh _god_ do not do that, dammit. The last thing I need is to be accused of some kind of reverse Oedipus complex.” She buckled up, then turned the engine over before answering. “She’s still my girlfriend, but this is...kind of a Thing.”

Fareeha raised an eyebrow, humming thoughtfully at her, and Lena could almost swear that even her _heartbeat_ seemed smug.

“So,” Lena finally said as they merged into the early evening traffic, “things are a little more complicated now that we’re both vampires.”

Fareeha nodded, the smugness turning to sympathy. “Yeah, I can believe that. I mean, Angela and I aren’t the same _species_ , technically, and we still found some odd sticking points when we started going out. Even spending the night is a little more complicated when you might wake up with a mouthful of feathers.”

Lena laughed at that mental image. “Yeah, that’d do. So...in our case...have you ever wondered why you don’t see me hang out with any others of my kind, except her? Why you don’t really see many around?”

“You’re a predator,” Fareeha answered. “I assumed part of that meant having territory... _oh_.”

Lena grinned. “Yeah. It might not be so bad if we still had two separate apartments, but since Gérard and his friends had been watching her old place, she doesn’t want to stay there.”

“Understandable - and given her...ah...changing status, I can see that apartment hunting right now would be fairly difficult.”

“She’ll be more comfortable going out in the day soon - especially with Angie working out that deal for a regular food supply for us, but yeah.” Lena sighed. “Things were simpler when I changed, y’know? No social security, driver’s licenses, all that bollocks. I just wandered off, and eventually showed up somewhere else. I’d been sick as it was, so after I didn’t show up for work they assumed I died, and nobody in the next town over was any the wiser. _She’s_ having to go to the DMV, sit on the phone for hours...it’s no wonder she’s irritable.”

She could almost feel the detective’s brain analyzing everything she’d said. “And not having space that she can make her ‘territory’ is making it worse?”

“Mmhmm.” Lena pursed her lips as she maneuvered around a taxi that had apparently decided to make a left turn without bothering to signal. “We’re not _fighting_ , exactly, but she’s...touchy, and it’s rubbing a bit on me, too. So that’s why I asked you to help with emptying out my practice room while she was at work. I texted her to show her it’s cleared out and said it’s hers now, and offered that she could pick up a lock, too, and put it on the door if she likes.”

“Will that help?”

“It should.” Lena tilted her head back and forth a bit. “It’s been a _long_ time since I got turned. Back then, he just kept me in his barn for the first few weeks before I’d settled down enough to learn how to hunt properly, and once I had the basics I was out on my own. I’m playing this a bit by ear.”

“I...huh.” Fareeha slumped back a little in the passenger seat, her hand rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “I would have expected the fact that you’d fed from her several times would have helped with that, too.”

“Sure, but she’s only fed from _me_ the once.” A thought struck Lena and worried at her lip as she considered it. “Actually, that’s not half a bad idea too. I can’t recall if I had more than one drink from him, but he wasn’t looking to keep me around, either. Maybe we can try that after all. Thanks!”

“You’re welcome - I think.” Fareeha sat up a bit straighter as they pulled into the parking lot of what looked like a converted warehouse, not so different from where both Amélie and Lena had been kept not so long ago. “So what is this place?”

“Used to be a warehouse for a soda company, back in the day. Sat empty for a while and then some lads bought it and turned it into bunch of art spaces for rent. Soundproofed ones for musicians, a few painting studios, they’ve even got a metal shop.” Lena maneuvered the van into a parking spot, then set the brake before turning the engine off. “Close enough to my building that I can come over and play when I feel an urge to practice, but it gives _me_ some space, too, when I need it.”

“Not a bad idea,” Fareeha admitted as they opened up the back of the van so they could pull the equipment and boxes of books, papers, and records Lena had been keeping in the spare room for lack of a better place out and load them into her new space.

“Right?” Lena shouldered her gig bag, then picked up one of the heavier amps. “Besides, can’t hurt to meet a few new people here.”

Fareeha grinned as she grabbed the Hercules stand, tucking it under one arm before she grabbed a milk crate full of records. “You might even end up in a band.”

Lena scoffed as she the door to the warehouse open with one foot. “Yeah, sure. Find people who want to form a punk band, who don’t already have a bassist, and are good with a vampire to boot. Easy!”

Neither noticed the paper tacked up next to the doorway with strips of scotch tape:

 

_Non-human Musician Looking For Others!_

 

_Want To Form A Band?!_


	2. Genji

Setting up the new practice studio to Lena’s satisfaction didn’t take terribly long, and once they’d finished unpacking Fareeha had grabbed a folding chair so she could sit while Lena pulled out her bass and gave it a tweak and tune, checking the tone before plugging it into her amp and strumming it experimentally.

“Are you taking requests?”

Lena looked up and gave a grin. “Eh...sort of hard when it’s just me, but - here, you may like this.”

Fareeha had expected to hear something out of Lena’s usual punk repertoire. _Holiday in Cambodia_ , maybe, with the song’s driving bass line. Instead, Lena took a second to run her fingers down the fretboard, then began to pluck out quick, dancing notes - a rising and falling cascade of beautiful sound that it took Fareeha a moment to recognize as _Bach_.

She played the suite, then transitioned from the choppy pace of the fugue to something a bit slower, but still with a lovely sound and a steady cadence.

When the last note died away, Fareeha gave her an impressed salute. “Was that _Für Elise_?”

Lena nodded, smiling fondly as she slid the guitar’s strap off her shoulders and placed it on the stand. “And _Cello Suite no. 1_ before that. A lot of people have been...what’s the word...transposing them from string or piano pieces to the guitar. I liked how those two sound so I got the tabs and learned them myself.”

“That’s great!” Fareeha checked her watch. “What time does Amélie get off of work?”

“She’s closing tonight,” Lena answered, “but I figured I’d take the truck back, maybe buy you a pizza or something to say thanks for the help?”

Fareeha nodded agreement. “Sounds good to me.” She’d been about to ask Lena if she wanted to check out a new spot near her precinct when there was a knock at the studio door.

“Hell.” Lena stood. “Bet this room doesn’t have enough soundproofing with the amp turned up. Probably just pissed off my neighbor.”

When she opened the door, the green haired man standing there in jeans and a Hello Kitty t-shirt didn’t look pissed off. In fact, from what Fareeha could tell on a cold read of his body language, he seemed quite excited and interested.

“Hi, sorry, I don’t want to interrupt, but which one of you was playing just now?”

Lena raised her hand in a little wave. “Heya. That was me, sorry, was it too loud? I just moved into this studio today.”

Green-hair grinned and shook his head. “No, that wasn’t why I was knocking - I heard you, but I’ve got good ears.” He his grin turned into a bit of a leer. “Among other things. Anyway, the thing is - I’m a guitarist. I wanted to know if you would be interested in playing around?”

Lena had stiffened at the come on, but relaxed a bit as he kept talking. “Jam session yes, anything else no - I’ve got a girlfriend, mate.”

Green-hair’s eyes flicked over to her, and Fareeha smirked. “Not me. I’m just the friend helping her move in.”

That got a laugh out of Green-hair. “OK, fair enough.” He extended his hand to Lena. “Genji. Genji Shimada.”

“Lena Oxton.” She shook the offered hand, then reached for her bass. “So - my place or yours?”

Genji gave a snort at being teased back, and Fareeha could practically taste the relief coming off of him. He’d obviously been worried he’d shot himself in the foot with his flirting.  “I’ll go grab my guitar. Can I use your other amp?”

“Long as you don’t walk off with it, sure.”

It didn’t take long for Genji to come back with a guitar that seemed to have been painted to match his hair - or perhaps it was the other way around.

Lena’s eyes widened a bit at the sight of it. “Is that a Mockingbird? I didn’t think they made them in green.”

Genji chuckled as he plugged into Lena’s second amp, running a hand over the gleaming green lacquer. “It helps when your family has given you far too much money to spend on it.” There was a faint accent that added a bit of extra warmth to his words. Japanese, if she had to guess from his name and his features, but his command of English seemed to make it likely that he’d been living in the US for quite some time, received very immersive and expensive education, or both.

Lena had gotten her bass back out and cabled up, and she chuckled at the remark. “So - what did you want to play? More classical stuff, or did you have something else in mind?”

Genji hummed thoughtfully. “I am going to guess you’re not very big into J-rock or K-pop?”

Lena looked down at her T-shirt, which proudly called for “ANARCHY IN THE U.K.” and then back to Genji. “Not as such, no.”

Genji’s smirk was back as he pulled a pick from the pocket of his jeans. “Well, I have a feeling you know this one.” He wound up and fired into the opening bars of _I Wanna Be Sedated_ , and Lena grinned as she came in on the next bar, matching his tempo as Genji began to belt out the opening chorus.

 

_“Twenty twenty twenty four hours to go_

_I wanna be sedated!_

_Nothing to do, nowhere to go o_

_I wanna be sedated!”_

 

He had a good singing voice, and even though Fareeha wasn’t much of a musician, she found herself tapping her foot to the beat and humming along to the words.

They ended up playing a few other songs, with Lena suggesting a few that Genji didn’t know before settling on one he did, and finally wrapping up with an oddly entrancing duet adaptation of another Bach piece, trading off fugue lines before Genji wrapped it up with an enthusiastic solo while Lena kept the main theme going.

When they’d finished, there was a satisfied silence for a moment, Genji a bit flushed from his efforts.

“That was _great!_ ” Genji unplugged his guitar and let it rest against his body, the strap taking the weight. “Do you play with a band right now?”

“Nah,” Lena shook her head. “Not for a long time. I just like to keep in practice.”

Genji seemed a bit surprised at that - almost disappointed. “Why? You’re really good. You could probably be doing studio work if you wanted.”

Fareeha had her suspicions about that, and the way Lena shuffled and coughed a bit did a lot to confirm it. “It’s a bit...complicated. Got some stuff going on, you might say.”

Genji considered that with a frown, then his expression lit up as an idea struck him. “Want to play a few more and see if I can change your mind?”

Lena seemed to consider that, then she looked down at the watch at her wrist and back to Fareeha. “I’d love to take you up on that, but I _do_ need to take the moving truck back, and I owe Fareeha some food for her help.”

“Ahhh,” Genji nodded sympathetically. “I can get that. Still - will you be back tomorrow?”

“Might do,” Lena admitted.

“Come see if I’m around - I rent studio number 6. Maybe I can see if I can be a little more convincing then!”

Lena rolled her eyes, but Fareeha noticed she didn’t seem to be blowing him off entirely, either. “Don’t think much of yourself, do you Mister Shimada?”

Genji gave them both a lazy little wave as he left. “It’s not bragging if it’s true, Miss Oxton.”

Fareeha grinned as they locked up and headed for the van. “That went pretty well.”

“I suppose it did,” Lena admitted. “So - drop this thing back at the rental lot and then get something for you to eat?”

“Sounds like a plan to me, _Miss Oxton._ ”

“Oi!”

* * *

After they had returned the moving truck, Lena had let Fareeha pick the place for a late dinner, then caught a taxi back to her apartment.

Amélie would be home soon, and she decided to use the time to rearrange the living room slightly, setting the stereo back up and stacking the milk crates of records she wanted to keep in the house at the back corner of the room behind the couch.

She’d just finished giving the stereo a good test run with _Raw Power_ when she heard the sound of a key in the lock. Lena pulled herself off the couch and shut off the stereo with a smile, just as the door opened.

“Hi, luv!”

Amélie didn’t speak after she shut the door and set the deadbolt again, but the tight hug she gave Lena was a pretty good hello as far as she was concerned.

“Hey,” Lena reached up to lightly rub Amélie’s back through the purple coat she’d been wearing. “Bad day?”

“I am still getting used to all the _noise_ ,” Amélie explained. “And the construction is not helping.”

Lena gave her a sympathetic ‘Aw’, followed by a quick kiss. “Poor love. Do you want to take it easy today?”

Amélie gave a thoughtful hum. “I want to put a few of my things into...my room.” She gave a grateful smile, then stepped back. “Thank you for that.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t really think of it earlier,” Lena apologized, but Amélie stopped her with a smile and a finger pressed to her lips.

“Do not apologize, _ma chérie._ I am just happy you were so thoughtful.” Amélie stepped closer, her voice lowering to a husky murmur. “And once I am done, I plan to show you how thankful I am.”

“Well, when you put it that way…”


	3. Sombra

Lena groaned softly as she reached for her alarm clock. She didn’t _need_ to wake up a few hours before dusk, but now that she and Amélie were living together she liked having time with her girlfriend before she left to go take care of things at L’Enfer.

Even though the club was still remodeling after the “incident”, as Winston called it, they had reopened a week after the attack by Saint George. They were still keeping about half of the dance floor and the old stage area blocked off, but even limited service allowed the staff to keep serving and making money.

Amélie technically didn’t _need_ to work - Lena would have happily supported them both - but she’d wanted to keep as much of a routine as she could. Lena had understood that completely, and Athena and Winston certainly appreciated her help. In a lot of ways very little had changed, with the exception of Amélie no longer working the afternoon and “unhappy hour” shifts out of respect for her new condition.

_All that said_ , Lena thought with a smile as Amélie turned over and buried her head in her pillow with a mumbled curse, _she’s still not a morning person - even at four in the afternoon._

Lena shifted to lightly kiss her shoulder. “I’ll grab a shower here, mm? Give you a little extra time.”

Amélie gave a little hum, stretching deliciously beneath the sheet. “ _D’accord_ …but make me get up when you are done.”

Lena grinned as she pulled herself out of bed and made her way over to the bathroom. “I’ve just the thing.”

She showered and washed, still not really used to the feeling of the water hitting her hairless scalp. She really needed to think about trying to grow her hair back soon, but she’d had so much else to heal and recover from that it was pretty low on her priorities.

At least the aching _wrong_ feeling at the back of her mind had faded after Amélie had claimed her own room and spent a night in it alone. Lena really wasn’t sure if it was a psychosomatic reaction to each of them finally having distinct ‘territories’ or what, but it was a relief to know their presence together wouldn’t be a constant irritant.

If nothing else the experience made Lena look back on the start of her own unlife a bit differently. If the vampire who had turned and taught her had spent the entire time with a migraine, no _wonder_ he’d been such a surly ass.

_I suppose he did as best he could...but it would have been nice to know his name, at least._

At least she had a good idea of what _not_ to do these days...and a few ideas on things to try, thanks to her talk with Fareeha.

She left the bathroom and headed for the kitchen, grabbing two bagged units of blood from the fridge and putting them into a pot of warm water, heating them through before taking them back to the bedroom.

Lena sunk her fangs into one of the bags, sighing happily as she drank. The sweet warmth spread through her, not quite as good as feeding with a beating heart beneath her lips, but a hell of a lot more pleasant than trying to slurp it cold - and _far_ preferable to cheating on the woman she loved.

_Speaking of whom…_ Lena grinned as she finished the bag, leaving just enough to spread a bit of the dark red fluid over her fingertips, lightly rubbing the warm blood into the cool skin of her neck.

To her delight, Amélie’s nose twitched slightly as she approached, her eyes half opening at the smell.

“Lena…?”

Lena grinned, holding up the second bag. “Breakfast in bed. Care to try something...interesting?”

Amélie turned over, her eyes glittering a thousand shades of beautiful red as her fangs extended. “Tell me more, _ma idiote_.”

Lena pointed to her neck. “Just warmed some up and had a nip. Care to see how it feels? Worst case I’ve got the other bag - we can split it if you decide this wasn’t for you.”

Amélie wasn’t as strong as she was yet - that took time - but she was very, very quick, and Lena found herself being half dragged, half thrown back into bed as Amélie straddled her hips.

“Oh,” Amélie murmured before she dragged Lena’s bloody fingers into her mouth, sucking them clean, “I am quite certain that this is for me.”

Lena shivered as Amélie’s tongue dragged over the smear of blood on her neck, then gasped in delight as she felt her lover’s fangs dig into the vein.

She let out a low moan of pleasure, shuddering from the sensations of being fed from even as the ache of hunger grew as her body was denied the blood she needed.

Amélie drank deep before she finally broke away, teasing the bite wound with a kiss as Lena trembled beneath her touch. She sighed as she was laid back down on the bed, much of what she’d just consumed taken from her.

“So,” Lena asked with a weak giggle, “was that good for you?” She tried to sit up and groaned as her head swam. “Ooogh. That...might have been a little too much...actually…”

Amélie quickly drained the other bag, her skin turning a bit ruddy as she marked a vein on her own neck. “Then come and _take it back._ ”

* * *

Amélie hadn’t quite missed work, but it had been a very near thing, even with Lena driving her into the city instead of catching the train.

Still, Lena couldn’t help but be delighted with their successful ‘experiment’ as she drove back to the practice studio, her fingers tingling with the urge to play.

“Good sex isn’t required to make good music,” she giggled to herself as she strummed experimentally on her bass, “but it doesn’t hurt!”

“Funny you say that,” Genji observed with a laugh as he knocked on the studio door. “Care to come play with a friend of mine?”

“Friend?” Lena wondered as she grabbed her amp, “or ‘Friend’?”

Genji gave a dramatic little ‘oof’ as he held the door open for her. “You wound me!”

“And…?” Lena asked as she followed him down the hallway - past his studio, she noted, and towards the stairwell.

“A little of both,” Genji conceded as lead her upstairs and then opened the door to a room that had been painted a dark grey and lit with purple LED strips running along the walls.

“Huh. Kind of cyber-gothy. Half expect to hear some Front 242 coming out…”

The room’s apparent owner laughed, coming out of what Lena realized was a little kitchen. “I’m more of an Information Society girl, if you get my drift.” She certainly looked the part, with buzzed down hair on one side of her head with a set of designs shaved into the fuzz, and the rest falling down her shoulder with a beautiful ombre dye job that shaded through her natural deep brown to different shades of purple.

Her skin had a rich glow to it, and when Lena looked carefully she could see the hint of a scaly texture along the sides of her neck, disappearing beneath the collar of the sugar skull decorated hoodie she was wearing.

“Fair enough,” Lena replied with a grin. “So...what’s on your mind?”

That got a laugh from purple girl, who walked over and punched Genji in the shoulder. “You said she was _good_ , you didn’t say she was _funny!_ ”   
  
Genji winced, rubbing at where he was punched. “ _Ow_. I didn’t say she was good, Sombra. I said she was _really_ good. At least give me a little credit!” He gestured to Lena with a smile. “So, Lena Oxton, meet Sombra, who absolutely doesn’t want you to know her _real_ name is-”

Sombra stomped on Genji’s foot with a glare. “A secret, _mapache!”_ She looked over at Lena, shaking her head with a sigh. _“Boys.”_

Lena giggled, offering Sombra her hand. “Never had much use for them myself. But I’m not exactly sure why I’m here. Genji said you wanted to play, but I don’t see any kit.”

Sombra’s smile went a bit sly as they shook hands, her thumb tracing a little circle over where Lena’s pulse point should have been. “Well, there’s play, and there’s... _play._ ”

Genji rolled her eyes. “I told you she has a girlfriend.”

“Doesn’t mean she can’t share,” Sombra winked, apparently not put off by the weak, sluggish heartbeat.

Lena shook her head, pulling her goggles down so Sombra could see her eyes properly. “Sorry, luv, but that’s not really how we do things.”

“Too bad,” Sombra said with a touch of sincerity under the laughter, “but I get it.” She gestured down the hallway. “I still have a few ideas about how we can have some fun, though.”

Lena gave Genji a dry look as she followed their host. “Starting to see why you two get along. Why’d she call you a raccoon, though?” She was well fed enough that she hadn’t really tried listening to either of their heartbeats, but Lena was starting to wonder if that was a mistake.

Sombra turned her head, raising an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell her?”

Genji shrugged. “We’re getting to know each other.”

Lena focused a bit more, and her eyebrows went up. Sombra’s heartbeat was about human pace, but with an undertone almost like there was an extra valve involved, while Genji’s sounded like a _machine gun_ \- possibly even faster and sharper than Angela’s.

“OK,” Lena said slowly. “I don’t want any trouble, but can I please put this amp down and you tell me what the _fuck_ is going on?”

Sombra nodded as she pushed open a door, gesturing her inside. “Absolutely.”

As Lena walked in, she could see that it had probably started life as a spare bedroom, and been converted into a practice space as well, with Genji’s guitar leaning on a stand in one corner, and a stack of keyboards set up next to the window.

There had been a space cleared for her amp, a microphone standing in the middle of the room, and even an extra Hercules stand so she could set her bass down. _“Huh._ So...this is a bit more like what I expected, I think.”

As she put her amp down and set her bass on the stand Lena tried not to eavesdrop, but it wasn’t hard to miss Sombra’s frustrated, almost hissing Spanish as she berated Genji, ending with a little slap to the back of his head. _“Tarado!”_

Genji put his hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine, _okay! Yamero!_ ” He shook his head, as if trying to clear it...and a pair of dark furred ears poked from his hair, while a thick grey and brown striped tail trailed out behind him.   
  
“Oh,” Lena blinked as she put a few things together. “You’re...whatsit called...a Tanki?”

_"Tanuki_ ,” Genji corrected, then grinned. “That’s me. Which...is not a problem, right?”

Lena couldn’t help but laugh as she extended her fangs. “Well, it’d be awful hypocritical of me.”

Genji’s jaw dropped, while Sombra hooted again with laughter. “You’re a _vampire?!_ That is even better than I hoped for!”

Lena snorted. “Not used to hearing _that_...but really, d’you want to stand around and gawp, or did you want to rock an’ roll?”

Sombra sauntered (there was no other word for it) to the keyboards and flipped them on, cracking her knuckles. “Ohhhh, this is gonna be fun!”


	4. Satya

_Up to no good_  
_Up to no good_  
  
_Like a spark on a wire_  
_Or a splinter in wood_

 _Best intentions get  
_ _Misunderstood_

 _But that motherfucker is  
_ _Up to no good_

 _Up to no good  
_ _1, 2, 34 5678…_

Lena groaned as Genji roared ahead again, leaving her and Sombra behind despite the relentless clacking of the metronome set up in the windowsill.

“Dammit, mate, slow the _fuck_ down!”

Genji sighed, slumping a bit. “Sorry, sorry. I _like_ that part…”  
  
“Yeah, me too, but not at double the speed.” Lena slipped out of her strap and put her bass on the stand. “OK - we’ve been messing about for, what, 2 hours? Let’s take a break.”

Sombra nodded. “Good idea. You guys hungry?”

Genji gave Lena a comically scared look. “Is it a good idea to ask the _vampire_ if she’s hungry?”

Lena stuck out her tongue. “Do me a favor and fuck off, ok?”

Genji laughed, taking the shot in stride and dramatically tossing his hair. “I _suppose_ that some food might be good, since I’ve been rejected yet again.”

Lena groaned. “If I bite you, will you _stop?”_

“Probably not,” Genji admitted with a grin.  
  
Lena looked over at Sombra. “If _she_ bites you, will you stop?”

Sombra rolled her eyes. “You think I haven’t _tried_ that?”

Lena huffed out a laugh. “Guess we’d better go eat, then.”

They ended up at a ramen shop not far from the studio. From the way the owner greeted them and cleared off a table, it seemed like Genji must be a regular.

“So,” Lena asked between sips of her bubble tea, “you guys are together?”

“Off and on,” Sombra said between bites of noodles and tonkatsu. “Neither of us is exactly looking to settle down, y’know?”

“Friends,” Genji nodded, “like I said. We met a few years ago while I was in school, and we’ve kept up since.”

“Oh? Where’d you go to school, then?”

“Juilliard,” Genji answered before going after a piece of fish cake. “But Sombra wasn’t actually supposed to be there.”

“I wanted a look at the new digital composition studio!” Sombra shook her head. “Besides, _I’m_ not the one who told his family he was going to NYU for a business degree.”

Genji rolled his eyes. “What my family doesn’t know won’t hurt them. Besides, I _did_ take some of those classes.”

Lena grinned. “Hey, if they’re not impressed about you getting into Juilliard, I will be. That takes a hell of a lot of talent _and_ hard work. But - same thing you asked me when we met: why are you just fucking around in a warehouse studio instead of having a band or something?”

Sombra’s lazy grin turned into a fierce little smirk, and Genji had an equally smug expression as they looked at her.

Lena’s face fell as she dropped her head into her hands. “Fuck, I walked right into that one.”

* * *

Angela frowned over her cup of tea. “I’m not sure I understand the problem, Lena. You said you’re enjoying playing with them?”

“I am,” Lena agreed as she took a bite of gingerbread. “I’ve had fun jamming with them. Genji’s a bit of a wanker, but he’s got his heart in the right place and it’s pretty much all in good fun.”

“So what is the problem?”

Lena sat back in her booth at Golden Ratio with a sigh. “Well, _first,_ Genji can’t keep on the beat to save his life when he gets excited - we don’t have a drummer or a rythym guitar, so if my part isn’t _right_ on, he tries to drag us around...and we’d need at least a drummer - ideally _both_ to do a full band.”

Angela smiled to Satya as she arrived with a warm plate of shortbread for her. “Ah, thank you!” Turning back, she gave Lena a skeptical look. “So you need to find a few people to form a full band. I still don’t see why it’s much of an obstacle - particularly not in this city.”

“Three non-humans in the band already,” Lena observed. “On top of that, Genji really wants to fill out the band with us, too. Great for equality an’ whatnot, but shortens the talent pool, yeah? And if we _do_ get everyone together and we can make it work, who gives us a shot to play in their place aside from Winston?”

“All of which are problems which can be overcome,” Angela replied calmly. “Why are you _really_ hesitating, Lena?”

“Got a pretty big target on my back now,” Lena murmured. “So does Amé, for that matter. Pascal may be in jail but there’s plenty more where he came from.” She sighed. “Reminds me of the bad old days in Chicago. Going out wondering if I’m going to have to try to stop someone from being stupid - or worse. If something happened to them because of me…”

“It _already_ happened.” Angela took a bite of her shortbread to give her words a chance to sink in. “To Amélie, to Hana, to everyone who was at L’Enfer that night, and they all survived. We’re still here, and because we came together, we’re all stronger than we were before - quite literally, in Amélie’s case.”

“That’s one way to look at it,” Lena admitted. “But I don’t know, Angie...”

“Any club that booked your band would know what they were getting into,” Angela argued calmly, “and I suspect your bandmates would too. If this Genji is making a point of the band being all non-humans, and marketing them that way, it will attract attention.”

Lena let out a sigh. “Yeah...that’s so.”

Angela smiled. “So - why not do it, and perhaps have _fun?_ You make a few more friends, indulge one of your passions, possibly even get paid for it...and even if you just end up as a novelty, at least you’ll have enjoyed yourselves.”

Lena gave her a skeptical glower. “I thought you were a surgeon, not a psychologist.”

Angela shrugged. “I don’t let my wings out often in public - but every day I think about it. I have to decide if I wish to go out or stay in. To follow my heart or hide in fear. The circumstances are somewhat different...but the feelings are the same.”

Lena stared, looking at her in an entirely different light, then nodded. “I...yeah. I hadn’t really thought of it quite that way. When you put it like that…”

Their conversation moved to other topics, and Lena was just zipping up her jacket to leave when Satya cleared her throat loud enough to grab her attention.

“Forgive me,” Satya said a bit hesitantly, “but I couldn’t help but overhear part of your conversation earlier.”

“Oh?” Lena raised an eyebrow, wondering where this might be going. “What about it, luv?”

Satya fidgeted slightly, rather different from the normal cool and confident air she had when Lena visited her shop. “I play the guitar.”

“ _Really?”_ Lena stepped closer, trying to keep herself from getting too excited. “When’d that start?”

“Last year,” Satya explained. “I found that I needed a hobby outside of work, and I decided it would be an interesting challenge.” She gave a little smile. “I have to admit your...enthusiasm for music did influence my choice.”

Lena grinned, her initial surprise turning to excitement. “Mostly solo, or have you played with others?”

“Alone,” Satya admitted, “but I have a good sense for tempo and excellent pitch. At the very least I should like to try.”

“Absolutely.” Lena dug into her pocket for her phone, opening her calendar. “Here - you usually close up early on Tuesdays, right?”

Satya nodded, a bit of her usual dry humor returning. “I must sleep occasionally - among other things.”

“So - next Tuesday after you hang it up here, come meet me at where I’ve got my new practice studio, and you can meet the others, we’ll play a bit, and we’ll see how things go.”

Satya nodded, taking down the address of the studio on a notepad she produced from her apron. “I will be looking forward to it.”

* * *

Genji’s jaw dropped as Lena lead Satya into the warehouse. “You said you thought you might have found another guitar player,” he breathed. “You didn’t say anything about a _goddess_.”

“Oi,” Lena swatted him across the chest. “Behave, or I’ll feed you to Sombra.”

Sombra’s expression was almost as gobsmacked as Genji’s, her eyes wide. “He’d enjoy that too much. Besides, I agree.”

Satya blushed, her blushing cheeks tinged with gold, but she kept her gaze level. “Perhaps we should proceed to the studio, and I can prove that I can be both.”

Lena raised an eyebrow at Satya from beneath her goggles. “Yeah, OK then…let’s go up to the big studio, eh?”

As she lead Satya up the stairs to Sombra’s apartment, she tried not to think too much about Sombra’s muttered _‘¡Písame, hermosa!’_ from behind them - or the fact that she was pretty sure she heard Satya’s heartbeat speed up a bit in response.

 _Well,_ Lena thought wryly, _at least they’re getting along..._

Satya had brought a brilliant white flying-V clone with her, the raked angles of of the triangular body a contrast to the more rounded shapes of Lena and Genji’s instruments.

“Nice,” Lena complimented her. “Suits you!”

“I am very pleased with it myself.” Satya cabled up, strumming a few chords before she adjusted her tuning slightly. Another strum and she gave a satisfied little nod, then put in a set of earplugs before she took up her pick and started to hammer out some very distinctive opening bars.

Lena raised an eyebrow at the challenge in both the power move _and_ that particular song as she picked up her own thumping line. Genji’s lead guitar added a high, clear line to go with Sombra’s keyboard. They dove into the first verse, and Genji was grinning as he stepped to his mic.

 _It's early morning, the sun comes out_  
_Last night was shaking and pretty loud_

 _My cat is purring, it scratches my skin_  
_So what is wrong with another sin?_

 _The bitch is hungry, she needs to tell_  
_So give her inches and feed her well_

 _More days to come, new places to go_ _  
_ _I've got to leave, it's time for a show!!_

 _Here I am_  
_Rock you like a hurricane_

 _Here I am_ _  
_ _Rock you like a hurricane!_


	5. Amélie

Lena had to admit that as conflicted as she’d been about actually forming a band, she’d been having a good time.

Of course, that brought up one _small_ problem.

“Y’know,” she said to Genji as they sat in one of the booths at Golden Ratio, “playin’ in a studio with a metronome and Sombra running a drum machine with her keyboards works for noodlin’ about, but if you _really_ want a band -”

“I do,” Genji insisted around a mouthful of cream puff.

“Then you know we need a drummer.” Lena took a sip of her tea and sighed. “I mean, with all respect to Rick Allen…”

“You’re right,” Genji puffed out his cheeks a bit as he sat back. “I was hoping the ads I put up would get more interest.”

“There’s probably plenty like me,” Lena admitted, “who like to play but are nervous about it being a scam - or how they could get targeted.”

Genji gave a little grunt of acknowledgement, toying with his fork before he took another bite of puffed pastry and sweet cream. “I hate that you may be right.”

Lena frowned and sat up a bit straighter. “What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Something in his tone was different than the usual salacious act or half serious teasing they’d been communicating in. It had an air of something more serious - almost a bit ugly.

Genji made a noise that was almost a growl. “It _shouldn’t_ have to be like that.” He looked over at her and seemed to realize how he’d affected her. “Sorry,” he apologized as he tried to rein himself back in. “I don’t think we’re better than humans, and I understand why some people get afraid about being out. But I wish we could just… _be_ who we are! I’m proud of who I am! I _like_ who I am! I’m here to play music, have a good time, and sleep with as many gorgeous people as possible - I just happen to have ears, a tail, and an _amazing_ set of bal-”

“Y’know, you really could have stopped at the tail,” Lena interrupted with a groan.

Genji’s good humor seemed to seep back into him with his smirk. “It’s part of my heritage!”

“Sure,” Lena said dryly. “Still...I get you. But it’s hard, mate. You’re...what, twenty eight? Thirty?”  
  
“Closer to thirty five,” Genji admitted, “but that’s my youthful good looks.”

“Hah. Sure.” Lena took a drink of her tea. “My point is, you’re used to a world that’s getting more accepting of non-humans every day. Some are older and remember things a lot differently - and for some with really obvious nonhuman features it’s _still_ pretty shit. When’s the last time you saw a bogey or a mer just out for a walk during the day? A harpy shopping in midtown? An’ we’re in fucking _New York City_ , where people just sort of _expect_ things to be weird.”

Genji sighed and picked up his coffee. “I just...I don’t want us to have to be a ‘Non-human band’. We’re gonna a be a _band,_ and if everyone in it isn’t human, it shouldn’t _matter_.”

Lena smiled at Genji’s passionate declaration. “Someday. We just keep at it...and if there’s one thing I _do_ know, it’s that things change.” They clinked their mugs together, and Lena’s smile took on a sharp edge. “But we’re _still_ going to need a drummer.”

Genji sighed as he finished his cream puff, stabbing the last bit of pastry with his fork. “I... _might_ know one. But I think we’ll need to go talk to him together.”

Lena raised an eyebrow. “Ex-boyfriend?”

Genji groaned and put his head down against the table. “Maybe. Give me a couple days to see if anyone else applies first? Please?”

“Hah. OK, we can wait a little longer. Tell you what, though, in the meantime…” Lena swallowed a bit nervously. “I was thinking I keep coming to the studio or Sombra’s flat. We ought to hang out somewhere else. My girl works over at Club L’Enfer - I usually go dance on Saturday nights. You and Sombra want to come out?”

“Sure!” Genji grinned at the idea. “Should we ask Satya, too?”

Lena shrugged. “She’s told me she likes to dance but she’s not really a club girl - but if you want to try…”

Genji grinned. “I like a challenge. Hey - if we’re going over there anyway, I could ask if they’re booking for shows right now.”  
  
“Yeah,” Lena admitted thoughtfully. “Suppose we could at that.”

* * *

All things considered, Amélie felt that it had been a rather successful Saturday evening at L’Enfer.

There had been concerns about how many would come back after the attack, especially since the limited space while the club was renovated had cut their capacity accordingly, but the patrons who did return had been quite happy to spend their money, and the longer the club remained defiantly open, the more returned.

She was still feeling out the changes that came with being a part of New York’s nonhuman community, rather than simply an adjacent ally, but Amélie had the strong impression the club had become even more of a gathering place in the wake of Saint George’s assault, and a bit of a _cause celebré_ for some who would never have stepped foot in the place otherwise.

Hana and most of the other serving staff were thrilled about the extra tips, but Aleksandra and the bouncers grumbled a bit about the extra work - especially when they were forced to turn guests away or hold them at the door.

Amélie had decided she preferred the club being busy, even if it was a bit hectic. Pulling pints, mixing cocktails, pouring shots. Moving, always moving, and not thinking about the steady undertone of heartbeats surrounding her, not hyperfocusing on the rise and fall of bubbles through liquid or feeling the texture of the bar beneath her fingertips as she got used to newly heightened senses without anything to distract her.

Even if some distractions were less welcome than others.

Trying to keep her voice professionally cool and her expression placid, she gave the green haired man who had been taking up space at the bar for the last several minutes a raised eyebrow. “Did you need to see our specialty drink menu? Or have you decided on your order?”

He gave her a smile that was probably supposed to be suave, then leaned forward, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively as he spoke. “I’m trying to decide if I’m more interested in a Slow Fuck or a Velvety French Kiss.”

Amélie didn’t bother hiding her disregard. “How unfortunate that I will not be providing you with either.”

The _connard_ grabbed his chest as if he’d been shot. “Run through by the Gothic Angel’s wicked tongue! How can I go on?”

“I could suggest something more appropriate,” she suggested in a tone just cheerful enough to be mocking. “A virgin daiquiri, perhaps?”

Before the green haired idiot could respond, a woman dressed in a purple corset and leather pants with an interestingly dyed and shaved haircut to match her outfit laughed and squeezed in next to him. “That was _perfect_. Give me an ‘All Bets Are Off’ from the special menu, and I’ll take pity on _pobrecito_ here and give him a Screaming Orgasm.”

She gave the woman a ghost of a wink. “I suppose _someone_ ought to. How very kind of you.” With great satisfaction she began pulling bottles to mix the requested cocktails, with the satisfying sound of the boy’s aggrieved groan and the purple one’s warm laughter blending into the sounds of the club.

As she’d served other customers, Amélie hadn’t exactly _forgotten_ that pair, but she’d certainly put it down to business as usual until things had begun to wind down and she turned around after preparing an order for Hana to find Lena leaning against the bar with a smile, her pink wig just slightly askew.

“Hey, gorgeous. Been a busy night?”

Amélie nodded, looking around to take in the dwindling crowd in the club. “Very - but I am sure Winston will find it profitable.” Her lips turned up in a little smile as she reached out to carefully straighten the wig. “It seems you enjoyed yourself.”

“Oh yeah,” Lena grinned as she gestured out towards the abbreviated dance floor. “Genji and Sombra - the ones I told you about with the band - came out! Genji’s a bit of a prat but he’s actually a half decent dancer, and Sombra’s been a treat.”

Amélie leaned in, her eyes sparkling. “Should I feel jealous, _ma chérie?”_

“Oh,” Lena giggled, “she’s _offered_ , believe me, but I’m a good girl.”

“Hmmmm.” Amélie raised an eyebrow, letting Lena squirm a little while she attended to a patron who came to the bar for a fresh beer, then let her off the hook when she returned. “I am not sure I would ever call you a ‘good’ girl, Lena...but you _are_ an honest one.” She leaned in for a kiss, and Lena happily delivered, teasing with her tongue before they parted.

“I _do_ try,” Lena agreed with a wide smile. “Once you clock out, want to come meet them? Satya didn’t come out to join us, but Sombra wants to see if she can tempt her with that new 24 hour Indian deli.”

“I’m not sure if I am interested in eating...food…” Amélie said with a deliberate slowness, “but I would enjoy meeting them.”

“Brilliant!” Lena blew her a kiss as she moved to rejoin the dance floor for one last twirl. “Meet you at the door after chucking out!”

Amélie started working on closing down once they announced Last Call, and if she paused a few times to enjoy the sight of her lover dancing with abandon to the last songs of the night, no one complained.

* * *

Lena leaned against her car, watching the employee entrance while Genji yawned and Sombra called them an uber.

“You guys going to be ok for this?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sombra smiled over to her. “Genji will perk up after some food - and seeing Satya.”

“She’s coming out, then?” Lena smiled. “Good. Amé likes her.”

Genji turned. “So, what’s Amy like?”

Lena blinked, then laughed. “No, no - sorry, not _Amy_ , Am _é_.” Lena leaned on the accent to try to help correct the misconception. “‘S a nickname. Her name’s Amélie - she’s French, originally.”

Genji’s eyes went wide as face went pale. “French?”

“Yeah,” Lena nodded. “Is that a problem…?”

Sombra snickered, patting him on the back, but before Lena could get an explanation the door opened and Amélie came out, her brocade jacket on a hanger with the silk ascot she’d been wearing.

“Ah,” Amélie said without missing a beat as she walked to the car. “You are right, Lena - he _is_ a bit of a prat.”

Lena blinked as Genji doubled over with a groan while Amélie calmly opened up the passenger door and hung her jacket in the back. “So...you’ve met?”

Sombra giggled. “Oh, _amiga,_ you’re gonna love this story…”


	6. Jamison

“So,” Genji said a bit nervously as they sat around a table at the Star Deli, pushing his fish curry around on his plate. “I got a chance to talk to the manager while we were at the club.”

Lena blinked. “What, Athena? When did you manage that?”

“While you were at the bar,” he explained. “I told her I was working on an all non-human band and wanted to know when they would start booking shows.”

Amélie pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Not until the renovations are done. That will be a few more weeks, at least.”

Genji nodded. “That’s basically what she told me - the work should be done in two weeks, three tops. But she said it _would_ be nice to have a band lined up for the grand re-opening.”

Lena groaned as she realized where this was going. “Oh, you fucking _muppet_.”

Satya frowned as she put her fork down at the side of her plate. “You have committed us to play?”

“I didn’t _commit_ , exactly.” Genji coughed. “But I mentioned we would love the opportunity to help them celebrate.”

Sombra reached up to scratch at the back of Genji’s scalp, then tightened her fingers into a fist, yanking him to the side. “Did you forget that we’re _missing_ something? Like a _drummer?_ ”

Genji’s happy groan transformed into a yelp of pain, his ears poking out from his hair. “Ow, ow, ow ow! I didn’t _forget_ , but we’ve still got a little time!”

“We’ll need to practice,” Sombra objected. “You _always_ do this! You should have talked to us first and _we still need a drummer, culero!”_

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Genji said quickly, “that _really_ hurts!”

“Olivia,” Satya said cooly, “let go of his hair.”

Lena raised an eyebrow as she looked at Sombra. “ _Olivia_ , huh?”

“Don’t _you_ start,” Sombra grumbled as she let Genji go. “Sorry, _diosa_.”

“I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it,” Satya answered as she gave Genji an exasperated look, “but you were making a scene.” She gave Genji a look as he rubbed at his head. “You should have spoken to us before implying we would be ready.”

“Yeah,” Genji admitted as he slumped. “I did get carried away - but I really do think we could be ready to go. Even if we’re just sticking to covers that’s still a great chance to play and get our name out there.”

Amélie raised an eyebrow. “The name that the band currently does not have?”

“Ah...yeaaah.” Genji looked around the table. “That. Yeah.”

Lena gave him a thoughtful look. “Well, first things first - you said you knew a drummer.”

Genji groaned, moving his curry aside so he could put his head down on the table. “I _do_. I just didn’t want to talk to him unless I didn’t have much choice.”

“Guess what mate? You don’t.” Lena tapped the table. “Look, if it’s got you that twisted up I’ll come with, like I said. But if we’re going to actually play a show instead of mucking about we need to get him on board, and fast. Can you text him and ask if he’d meet you?”

Genji looked up at her with a grateful smile. “I can do better - I can take you over to where he works.”

“Monday?”

Genji sighed as he sat up. “Monday.”

* * *

Lena clicked her tongue as she walked to the heavy rolling door of a garage, Genji reluctantly trailing behind her. “Roadhog’s, huh?” She looked back. “That who we’re going to meet?”

Genji shook his head, pulling the strings on his hoodie just a bit tighter. “No, but he works here. The owner is pretty good with setting up guitars, though. That’s how I met Jamie. I heard about this great guitar tech working out of a bike shop, started chatting up the cute blonde while his boss took a look at my Mockingbird, and…”

Lena let out a long suffering sigh. “Y’shagged him that night, didn’t you?”

“...maybe.” Genji’s fidget didn’t help his case.

Lena rolled her eyes. “Just how bad is this going to go?”

“He _might_ have promised to punch me until I needed to shove a toothbrush up my ass to brush my teeth.” Genji sighed, then shook himself and gave a bright smile. “But it’s been a few years. He can’t be that mad now, right?”

Lena stared for a second, then shook her head. “Right. Maybe. What _happened_ , anyway?”

Genji shrugged. “He wanted to settle down and go steady, and I didn’t. I mean, I liked him, but...one person for the rest of my life isn’t really what I wanted.”

Lena gave a little nod. She supposed that made sense, all things considered. “Well, I’m not really gonna judge, mate. But maybe try to apologize?”

“Apologize…” Genji gave a grunt. “I’ll try. He...may not make it easy.”

Lena gave Genji a serious look from beneath her goggles. “We need his help, don’t we?”

“Yes,” Genji admitted, “we do. _I_ do.”

Lena nodded sharply. “Then you bloody well apologize even if he makes it hard - _especially_ if you did hurt him.”

Genji gave a chastened nod and walked over to pull the door open for her. “After you.”

The shop was about what you’d expect, smelling a bit of exhaust fumes, grease, and hot metal. Posters and manufacturer logos on some walls, a shelf of helmets, a rack of jackets and some other small accessories, a counter, and a few chairs next to it for customers to wait.

Lena walked to the counter and rang the bell, tapping her fingers against the counter until a massive barrel of a man came out of the shop floor, a hoodie stretched taut over his massive torso and the combination of a filter mask and welding goggles obscuring his face.

He had to have been at least six and a half feet tall and Lena had a strong sense that the man could break rocks with his bare hands if he had a mind to.

“Hi,” the beefy man (Roadhog, Lena assumed)  grunted with a voice like rocks grinding together. Before Lena could speak, though, he turned his head slightly to fix Genji with a glower. “Didn’t expect to see you again. Guitar that fucked?”

Lena shook her head. “Need to talk to Jamie. Is he here?”

Roadhog gave her a long look, then stuck his thumb back over his shoulder. “Yeah. Watch your head.”

They went through the door, moving between several bikes up on stands or work tables, until they found a lanky looking man wearing a welder’s hood and apron working to tack up several pieces of what looked like exhaust pipes.

She couldn’t see a lot of him beneath the heavy gloves, apron, and mask, but Lena noticed that one of the legs poking out of his shorts was clearly artificial, painted a rusty shade of orange with yellow flames climbing up the calf, while the other was a shade of grey that put Lena in mind of unfired clay.

She waited for him to finish making a weld, then whistled to get his attention. “You Jamie?”

Suddenly Roadhog’s warning became clear when the welder grabbed a piece of tubing from his bench and threw it at her. “Fuck off! I’m paid up on my rent!”

Lena’s hand came up, snapping the piece of pipe out of the air before it could hit her, then tossed it back at him with just a bit less force. “Oi! I’m not trying to collect a debt you gobshite! Came to see if you wanted a gig.”

Jamie pushed the welding mask back, revealing a narrow face marked with soot and a few old burn scars, bright yellow eyes, and almost comically yellow blond hair with orange and black highlights dyed into it. “Gig? What kind of gig?”

“Got a band going,” Lena explained. “Heard you’re a pretty good drummer.”

“Fucking right I am,” Jamie declared with a grin. He gave Lena’s wig a look, pointing at the bright pink. “Better not be happy dippy cute shit, though.”

Lena snorted. “I like pink but I’m not much for bubblegum, mate.” She turned to Genji, gesturing with a jerk of her head. “You want to tell him what we’re doing?”

Genji pushed back his hoodie. “Punk, rock, a little bit of harder goth stuff.” His lips turned up in smirk. “Just the way you like it.”

Jamie’s lips narrowed to a hard line as he pulled off the mask and dropped it on the workbench, then pulling his gloves off to reveal the extra joint in his fingers.

 _Bogey,_ Lena thought. _That explains the skin._

“Seem to recall sayin’ I’d poke you right in the gob if you came round again,” Jamie observed, but there wasn’t much heat in it. “Been a while, you fuzzy wanker.”

Genji rubbed at the back of his head. “It has been a long time. I was pretty sure you were serious about that part. But we really need a drummer...and you deserve a real apology. I’m sorry for hurting you, Jamison.”

Jamie (or Jamison, apparently) had crossed his arms over his chest as Genji spoke, then nodded. “About fucking time.” Then, grinning, he turned back to Lena. “So where do I need to haul my kit?”

Lena blinked. “That’s it?” She looked over at Genji. “He’s been acting like you were going to take that welding torch to his balls the minute he walked in.”

Jamie grinned. “Mighta done it, right after he left me broken hearted an’ pissed off, but we’re jake now. Besides - I wouldn’t torch his old fella. That’s about the only part of him I actually _miss_ now an’ then.”

Genji looked as if he couldn’t decide if he was pleased or offended. “I’m standing right here, Jamie.”

“So you are!” Jamie winked at Lena. “So - where an’ when for practice?”


	7. The Jam Session

After getting Jamison lined up to join them, Lena quickly realized that cramming five people, three guitars (and their amps), a keyboard stack, and a drum kit in Sombra’s studio / apartment wasn’t going to work. For that matter, she wasn’t sure how big Jamie’s drum kit would be, but she wasn’t terribly interested in lugging it up the stairs either.

Fortunately the warehouse’s office was still open when she arrived, and they were thrilled to convert her single occupant studio lease to the largest available room they had left. New keys in hand, she hauled the crates she’d been storing after she’d moved most of her actual instruments and amps up to Sombra’s place over to the new space, dropped off the old keys in the mail slot, and decided to head upstairs to get her bass and set things up the way she liked.

“Sombra?” Lena rapped on the door, but there wasn’t an answer. Still, it was usually unlocked when she’d come over with Genji, and she _had_ been invited in. Sombra had even told her to swing by whenever if she wanted to practice after she’d started to leave her bass there.  Considering her options for a minute, Lena decided to give the handle a turn. “You home, luv?”

There was no answer, but the door swung open smoothly. Lena grinned as she stepped inside the apartment, closing the door behind her. “Well, that’ll do.” Besides, if Sombra was just out getting groceries or the like, she would be out long before she got back.

Lena was already thinking about what she might play to get a feel for the acoustics in the new space when she opened the door to Sombra's studio, and froze.

In the middle of the floor, stretched out like a cat sunning itself, was a black and purple...thing. Lena honestly couldn’t find a better word to describe it. Its scaly hide put her in mind of a reptile, as did the frilled tail that stretched out from its torso, nearly as long as its body. But the legs were closer in shape to a dog’s, and there was a ruff of what looked like black _fur_ around the neck...that she realized after a moment had a dyed ripple of colors on one side that perfectly matched Sombra’s hair.

_Oh._

“ _Fuck_ ,” Lena swore in realization. “Sorry! I just came in to get my stuff.”

Sombra slowly turned her head towards the sound, the profile somehow blending the features of a komodo dragon and an Irish setter, then opened a shockingly blue eye. The vertical slit of a pupil widened slightly, and she made an odd noise that seemed to be both a hiss and a grumbling groan before rising to her feet, a long black tongue lashing from her mouth to taste the air as she took a shuffling step closer.

“You _did_ tell me to drop by whenever,” Lena said weakly, “and...the door...was unlocked...and oh god pleasedon’teatme.”

Sombra made a sound that was closer to a chuckle before her whole body seemed to ripple and convulse, a cry of something that seemed almost painful slowly turning to something closer to a yawning groan as she flowed back into a human shape.

A quite naked human shape, with those subtle scales Lena had seen when they’d first met running down the sides of her body from her shoulders all the way to her calves.

“Oh _ello_ ,” Lena said, her mouth on autopilot while her brain attempted to catch up. “You greet all the pretty girls that way?”

“I do when they wake me up from a nap.” Sombra gave her a sultry little smirk, then folded one arm over the other as she posed. (Which happened to show off that the scales ran around and down her back as well.) “You like what you see, _hermosa?"_

“Honestly? Yeah,” Lena admitted. “But we’re both taken - especially you!” She chuckled. “Mind you, if we’d met _before_ I got involved...well. Might have been a different story.”

Sombra laughed as she bumped past her to go back into the hall and head for what Lena assumed was a bedroom, her voice full of satisfied amusement. “I’ll take the compliment.”

Lena had turned to watch her go, then shook herself a bit and started packing her Thunderbird up and unhooking the amp.

She’d nearly finished when Sombra returned, dressed in a pair of tights and a long sleeved t-shirt. “Soooo...why’d you decide to drop by, anyway?”

“Oh! Right! Sorry, I...got a little off track.” Lena shook her head as she stood. “Jamison’s in. He’s going to come by tomorrow night after work so we can give him a tryout - but that means we’re going to need more room. I swapped my single for one of the big studios downstairs, and was going to grab my kit and try it out.”

“He went for it, huh? Awesome.” Sombra grinned wolfishly as she walked over to pick up the amp. “How bad did he give it to the _pobrecito?”_

“Surprisingly mild,” Lena admitted. “Seems like Jamie got over him.”  
  
“Serves Genji right,” Sombra agreed with a little spark in her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, I like Genji a lot, but he fucked up. Pretty much as soon as he told me about what happened i told him to drag his ass over and apologize, but he kept chickening out.” She gave Lena a grateful look. “I guess I owe you for making him get his shit together.”

Lena shrugged her gig bag over her shoulder, then grabbed the Hercules stand and the bundle of cables. “I mean, if we’re gonna do this, might as well do it right.”

Sombra gave her a look that Lena couldn’t quite define as she lead the way out of the apartment. “Still a little up in the air about playing with the band?”

“I’m in,” Lena promised, “just didn’t quite expect all this to happen.” She considered that, then laughed. “Story of my year, honestly. But I’m glad I helped - I mean, it _is_ his band, but Genji needed to get it together. Seems like he learned a little from goin’ over and talking.”

“...huh.” Sombra turned, giving her another look that Lena couldn’t quite figure out, then smirked as she opened the stairwell door. “So I’m surprised you haven’t asked.”

“Asked what?”

“You walked in on me,” Sombra explained with a wink. “Usually ‘what the fuck are you’ is the first thing out of people’s mouths.” She grinned. “Though ‘please don’t eat me’ was kinda cute.”

Lena coughed as they tromped down the stairs. “Well. Y’know. Bit rude to just _ask_.”

“You are _adorable_ , _chica._ ”

* * *

Amélie didn’t _need_ to be at the first full rehearsal for the still unnamed band, but she had still traded days off with Gina to make sure she could be there.

“This is important to you,” she’d explained to Lena. “Besides - I did enjoy meeting the others. I would like to see if they can…” She considered the correct phrase. “Back up their boasts.”

As it had turned out, Genji and Sombra could, and though Satya had less experience she was making up for it with a steadfast determination.

That left the final member of the band, who had arrived not long after the others had begun warming up and tossing a few riffs and chords back and forth to play around.

The first impression she had of ‘Jamie’ was that he was _quite_ tall, apparently rather strong given the heavy drum cases he was carrying without much difficulty, and rather _filthy_.

“Sorry for the mess,” Jamie explained in a high, clear voice. “Came right from work. Lemme get the rest out of the ute an’ I’ll wash up before I put it together.”

Lena waved to him, putting her bass back on the stand. “Need help?”

“Naah. Just brought the practice set, not m’ big double bass kit.” Jamie put his first load down, then looked around before giving a jerky nod and wave to the group. “What a bunch of misfits an’ freaks we’ve got here! I _love it!”_

Amélie snorted from where she sat off to the side, and Lena gave her an amused look.

“Something like that,” Lena admitted. “But c’mon - let’s get you started up so we can see just what you’ve got.”

It didn’t take terribly long for Jamie to get his drums set up, and true to his word he did find a bathroom to wash his face and hands, though there seemed to be little that could be done for his ratty hair and stained shirt.

Apparently he had come to the same conclusion, because the bogeyman stripped to his waist before settling onto the motorcycle style seat of his throne, his artificial leg braced against the bass pedal while his other foot sat in easy reach of the hi-hat cymbal.

“So,” Jamie drawled as he swept one of his sticks around the room. “Guitar, guitar, bass, keyboards…” He looked over to Amélie with a bit of a leer. “Dancin’ girl?”

Amélie gave him a glare. Sneering, she bared her teeth and felt the slight scraping sensation of her fangs extending. “I think _not._ ”

“Ooooooohoho! Happy Halloween!” Jamie’s mouth drew up into a grin. “So I guess that means you must sing, then.”

Amélie gave a little shrug. “Perhaps.” She caught Lena giving her a raised eyebrow and just nodded slightly. They hadn’t really discussed the idea, but she wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

Besides, the little rat had likely never heard of The Nightingale, and she would enjoy giving him a shock.

“ _Anyway,_ ” Lena coughed as she tapped at her bass’ pick guard. “We’re here to see what you’ve got, Jamie.” She grinned as she caught Genji’s eye, getting a little nod to confirm she was on the right track for getting his attention. “So, you going to pick a song or what?”

“Well,” Jamie smirked. “I didn’t come here to fuck spiders.” Settling his foot again, he took up his sticks in a loose grip and counted off a couple bars of the tempo by striking them together before he started hammering out a distinctive fill and intro, and within a few bars Lena was joining in, with Sombra and Satya not far behind.

It took a few measures for them to gel completely, but they’d gotten into sync just before Jamie drove them into the first verse with a pounding, snapping series of beats on his snare, and Genji stepped to the mic with something a little extra to his usual smirk.

 

_How does it feel to treat me like you do?_

_When you've laid your hands upon me and told me who you are_

 

_I thought I was mistaken, I thought I heard your words_

 

_Tell me how do I feel_

_Tell me now, how do I feel_

 

She could almost feel the moment when they stopped being a group of musicians in the same room and became a band, with Sombra putting a little variation into her keyboard line and Lena adjusting her own part in response, which lead to Genji and Satya playing a bit of back and forth ‘catch’ with the riffs in the lead line before Jamie started to insert a few fills of his own.

 

_Those who came before me lived through their vocations_

_From the past until completion, they'll turn away no more_

 

_And still I find it so hard to say what I need to say_

_But I'm quite sure that you'll tell me just how I should feel today_

 

_I see a ship in the harbor_

_I can and shall obey_

 

_But if it wasn't for your misfortune, I'd be a heavenly person today_

_And I thought I was mistaken, and I thought I heard you speak_

 

_Tell me, how do I feel_

_Tell me now, how should I feel_

 

_Now I stand here waiting_

 

_I thought I told you to leave me when I walked down to the beach_

_Tell me how does it feel, when your heart grows cold?_

 

By the time they’d finished the first song Lena had a fierce little grin on her face that made Amélie’s sluggish heart quicken, and the rest of the band seemed to be feeling the same way - even Satya’s usual cool, stoic expression was marked with a slight but noticeable smile, while Jamie didn’t bother hiding his delight.

“Fuckin’ _right!”_ He looked over at Lena, his gold tooth twinkling as he spoke. “You want to pick the next one, boss?”

“...boss?” Lena blinked and looked around the room. “Wait, wait, wait.” She pointed to Genji, her already pale complexion somehow even paler. “This was _your_ plan, mate.”

“Maybe,” Genji admitted, “but in case you hadn’t noticed...it’s _your_ band.”

Sombra was nodding along with that, and Satya’s raised eyebrow spoke volumes. Lena finally looked over to her, and Amélie couldn’t help but walk over and give her a little kiss.

“They are right, _mon idiote.”_ She smirked as she turned back to look at the others. “We are _all_ here because of you. But your band _still_ needs a name.”

Lena rocked back and forth on her feet. “Well, shite.” She offered a little smile, and Amélie nodded. “OK. Give me one more song, and I’ll see if I can figure one out.” She gave a little gesture towards the microphone. “Since you’re on your feet, luv…”

“Very well.” She stepped to the mic, considering some possible songs before looking around at the others. “Do all of you know ‘Pretend we’re dead’?” Genji, Lena, and Jamie nodded, and Sombra giggled at the suggestion, which she took as a yes.

“No,” Satya admitted. “Or - I have heard the song, but I do not know the guitar part.”

“The original didn’t have a separate rhythm part,” Lena observed. “Want to listen an’ watch Genji?”

“That will do,” Satya agreed.

Just as before, Jamie counted them off, and Amélie felt a rush of excitement and nerves as she stepped up to the mic for her mark.

 

_What's up with what's going down_

_In every city, in every town_

 

_Cramping styles is the plan_

_They've got us in the palm of every hand_

 

_When we pretend that we're dead_

 

_When we pretend that we're dead_

 

_They can't hear a word we've said_

_When we pretend that we're dead_

 

_Come on, come on, come on, come on_

_Come on, come on, come on, come on_

 

_Turn the tables with our unity_

_They neither moral nor majority_

 

_Wake up and smell the coffee_

_Or just say no to individuality_

 

_When we pretend that we're dead (pretend that we're dead)_

 

_When we pretend that we're dead (pretend that we're dead)_

 

_They can't hear a word we've said (pretend that we're dead)_

_When we pretend that we're dead (pretend that we're dead)_

 

_Come on, come on, come on, come on_

_Come on, come on, come on, come on_

 

_When we pretend that we're dead (pretend that we're dead)_

 

_When we pretend that we're dead (pretend that we're dead)_

 

_They can't hear a word we've said (pretend that we're dead)_

_When we pretend that we're dead (pretend that we're dead)_

 

_Come on, come on, come on, come on_

_Dead (pretend that we're dead)_

 

_Dead (come on, come on, come on, come on)_

_Dead (pretend that we're dead)_

 


	8. Filthy Parasites

_Why are you creeping up behind me?_

_Where did you get those claws?_

 

_Don't look at me that way_

_I'm really scared because..._

 

_What kind of monster are you?_

 

_Your fangs are beginning to show now_

_I think I've really got to go now_

 

_I thought you were sweet but no_

_This is just part of your plan_

 

_What kind of monster are you?_

 

_Why should I be scared of you?_

 

_Why are you creeping up behind me?_

_Where did you get those claws?_

 

_Don't look at me that way_

_I'm really scared because..._

 

_What kind of monster are you?_

Lena kept half an eye on Amélie as she stepped back from the microphone after her final notes died away, the rest of her concentration on playing them out through the final notes of the chorus, the last snarl of guitars and drums fading as everyone turned to her with expectant looks on their faces.

“Yes?” Lena pulled her Thunderbird’s strap over her head and settled it on the stand. “What’s everyone lookin’ at me for?”

“Still waiting on that name,” Sombra observed as she leaned over her keyboards.

“You asked for one song to think it over,” Amélie agreed. “We have given you three.”

“OK, yeah, fair cop…” Lena switched off her amp and settled down onto it in lieu of a chair. “I guess I’ve got one - but I might need to explain it.”

Everyone else waited while Lena took a second to collect her thoughts, though Jamie seemed more interested in the packet of pop rocks he’d pulled out of his pocket and started eating than her until she began talking again.

“So, not too long ago, Amélie an’ I had some real trouble with the same bastards who busted up L’Enfer.”

“ _Oh!”_ To her surprise, Jamie interrupted to peer over his drumset at her. “Right, you’re _those_ vampires then. The ones who got that pack of yobs busted up on Water Street.”

Lena rubbed at the back of her neck. “You heard about that?”

“Sure,” Jamie confirmed between crunches and snaps of more candy. “Knew a bloke who knew a bloke, y’know how it is. Shit, now I _really_ like you.”

Lena let out a nervous laugh. “Thanks, I guess. Wasn’t so fun at the time…” She looked over to Amélie, who had drawn her arms around herself, one hand resting protectively over where she’d been shot. “But...one of the buggers who’d been behind it all. He kept calling me - _us -_ ‘filthy parasites.’ Kept talking about how all we did was take things from ‘real’ people. That we weren’t worth shit, you know.” The image of Pascal and Gérard’s faces passed in front of her, and Lena’s hand clenched into a fist before she forced herself to relax and hop back off the amp.

“But I was thinkin’ about what you said, Genji. About just...bein’ us. Being a band because we want to _be a band_ , and not apologizing for who or what we are.” Lena looked around the room and got nods from the others. “So if bellends like Saint George and the like want to call us filthy parasites? Then we’re Filthy Parasites, and we own that. We make it something _better_. We say ‘Fuck You!’ to anyone who wants to get rid of us just for being born, and we do something fun.”

“Filthy Parasites,” Sombra said slowly, testing out the name. “I _like_ it.”

“Appropriately defiant,” Satya agreed. “And a pointed message to those who wished to harm you.”

“Also puts a target on our backs for them for the same reasons,” Lena admitted. “Fair warning.”

“But if any of them are left in the city,” Amélie admitted, “it would be there regardless.” She crossed the room to put her hand on Lena’s shoulder, dipping in for a firm kiss. “This _is_ who I am now. _What_ I am. And I am as proud of that as I am of the woman I love.”

Lena pulled her into a tight hug, only breaking away when Genji gave a little cough.

“After all that, I guess it’s kind of stupid to say I think ‘Filthy Parasites’ would look good on a t-shirt.”

Lena giggled, and let herself lean against Amélie’s side. “Suppose it might.” She looked over to where Jamison sat at his drums. “So - that good for you?”

“Personally,” Jamie said with a mock-posh accent as he stood, “I’m just glad to see my genius is finally recognized, filthy or not.”

“Well,” Lena grinned. “Guess we better tell Winston an’ Athena so they can put us on the posters for the grand re-opening.”

“Not to mention _practice_ ,” Satya pointed out dryly.

“Heh. Yeah, that too…”

* * *

Gabriel whistled as Lena finished telling her story of the band coming together, giving Jack a little grin. “Told you the name was her fault.”

Jack just gave him an amused sigh, then reached for his wallet and pulled out a dollar. “Yes, you did.”

“Oh _fuck off_ ,” Lena groaned as she flopped back in her chair. “‘S a good name. We earned it.”

Jack gave her a droll little smile. “We’re back in her life less than twenty four hours and she’s already swearing at us. Feels like we never left.” He laughed as Lena gave him a ‘Piss off’ salute, then grew more serious. “From the little bit you’ve mentioned about Saint George and Amélie’s turning, yes, you probably did. I’m glad you overcame it all, though.” His smile turned a bit melancholy. “After coming out here to try to apologize and patch things up, it would have been a hell of a note to find out you were gone.”

Lena shuddered. “Yeah. Came a little closer than I care to admit, honestly.” She sat back up, giving both of them a searching look. “But c’mon - seriously, what happened with you two? How’d you patch things up?”

“We can tell you the longer story later,” Gabriel promised, “when they’re not going to be kicking us out and locking the doors soon. But the cliffs notes version is that after you justifiably told us both to go to hell and split town, we got worse. A _lot_ worse...until we finally managed to nearly kill ourselves after all.”

“He dropped a building on us,” Jack observed dryly.

“ _After_ you lit it on fire,” Gabriel shot back with a surprisingly amused look.

“ _Christ_ ,” Lena rubbed at her face. “Don’t do anything by halves, do you?”

“Anyway,” Gabriel picked up the story after putting a gentle elbow into Jack’s ribs. “We ended up trapped in the basement of this old tenement, half my ribs are crushed - he’s got a busted leg and a separated shoulder. We can feel the fire getting closer, both of us are barely able to move under the debris...and the craziest thing happened. _We got each other out_.”

Lena stared in amazement. “Seriously?”

Jack nodded, taking a reflective look at Gabriel. “Both of us realized we didn’t want to die there, and the only way it was going to work was if we helped each other. Gabe freed me from the beam I was under, put my shoulder as close to back in joint as he could manage, and we pulled ourselves out of there until we found a door that got us up to the street - just in time, too.”

“I _never_ want to be next door to an imploding building again,” Gabe shook his head. “Especially not a burning one. So we were standing there...both of us are torn to shit, I lost my guns, he’d lost his axe-thing…”

“ _Tomahawk_ ,” Jack corrected with a long suffering air.

“Like I said,” Gabriel continued. “And...we started laughing. Because we went to all that trouble to kill each other, and when we had the _perfect_ opportunity…”

“You couldn’t do it.” Lena shook her head, looking at them with exasperated wonder. “You _bloody fucking idiots._ ”

“Pretty much.” Jack chuckled. “Which got us back to where we are now. We spent some time patching each other up -”

“Literally,” Gabriel observed dryly.

“Went to counseling, like we said, and...ah...got some other help.”  Jack looked down at the floor. “Turns out part of my problem is I’m...whatever you’d call a vampire with an addictive tendency for blood. Pretty much an alcoholic.”

Lena blinked as she tried to process the implications of what Jack had just said. “So...you getting obsessed with Gabe and all that…”

“Yeah.” Jack sighed mournfully as he sat back up straight. “If I’d known a few things back in the day...well. Maybe it would have gone better. Lot of mistakes I might have avoided.”   
  
“But that’s a big part of why we wanted to come out and find you,” Gabriel admitted. “We both owed you a big apology. Neither of us is expecting you to come out to Chicago any time soon - you’ve got some pretty deep roots here, seems like. But you deserved to hear it from us in person.”

Lena thought about everything she’d been through. All her fears, her pain, the literal decades of self doubt, and for a moment she was furious that she’d treated herself like a threat to everyone around her when the dangers she’d seen had been Jack and Jack alone.

But if she hadn’t...would she have met Winston? Angela? Amélie?

Lena looked back up to the stage where Mako was putting the last of Jamie’s drums away, and let the anger go. Like they had said, she couldn’t change the past...and if it meant she might have missed out on the love of one of the most amazing people she’d ever met, Lena wouldn’t have wanted to anyway.

“It means a lot that you decided to come all this way.” Lena put her hands out, letting each of them take one, and gave them a squeeze. “You’re right - I wouldn’t move back to Chicago at this point. All that happened aside, I’ve got a place here and I like it. But hey...bands tour, right?”   
  
Jack gave her a hopeful smile. “I think we could suggest a few clubs who’d love to have you play a show.”

“So - you keep in touch.” Lena stood as she saw Amélie coming out of the back. “And that starts with your phone numbers so we can all get together tomorrow. I want to hear the _rest_ of that story, an’ I bet Amé will too.”

Gabriel chuckled as he pulled his bandana and hood back up, then reached into his pocket for his phone. “Absolutely. Us filthy parasites have to stick together, after all.”


End file.
